Will of Fire
by Shadowborne
Summary: Uzumaki Naruto won because he had the strength, the soul to believe in himself. Truly, he has a Will of Fire.


Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, nor any characters therein. I do, however, have a quarter share in the moon, and 3/8th of one of Jupiter's moons. Ganymede, I think.

Author's notes- This story came to me after I realised more than a few people believe Naruto cheated during the Chuunin exam by using Kyuubi's chakra, or that this was the only reason he won. This is in response to those suggestions.

BTW, the views and names used in context with Temari are in no way my own, but this is set just after the Sand Sound War, and Konoha ain't happy with Suna.

Nights used to be the same as days in Konoha. What with ninjas keeping all hours, some restaurants were open near twenty four hours, and most markets the same. Some civilians had also found the darkness more peaceful, sleeping days and working nights.

It wasn't, thought, a good idea to be doing construction at night, and that's what the majority business was after the Sand Sound War. Sound had retreated and Sand surrendered, but damage had been done, and people killed. Wasn't safe to be leaping on rooftops with holes in them when it's too dark to see where you're going.

Only people out at night these days were guards, watching the walls, patrolling the streets. Making the city safe for good little boys and girls. Not a one of them figured there would be an attack this soon after the war, and it showed in their posture. They knew it was a possibility that the Sounds could attack, but what with the crippling of their leader, and losing so many of their elite, the chance wasn't high.

No, instead of keeping an eye out for enemies, or anything else for that matter, they joked. They talked, they boasted, they gossiped. Hyuuga Haishi had killed more sound nins than Jiraiya. The new InoShikaCho trio were obviously going to be better than their previous counterparts, as none of them had made it passed the second round of their first chuunin exam, and they'd been genin for over a year before that.

The Uchiha kid was gonna be up any day now. No freak in a black cloak was going to put the kid who'd beat Gaara of the Desert down for long. Yup. Up and around any time now. Good thing Kakashi had been taken down too. That'll take him down a peg or too, always looking down on us. No ANBU were injured in that fight, no siree. Doesn't matter that we didn't take part, we weren't injured.

Can't believe the Nara kid gave into the Sand bitch. Coulda taken her down easy, just needed a few more seconds. Even the fox brat could have taken her.

One of the ANBU gathered took offence at that. "What do you mean, _even _the Uzumaki could have won? He took down the Hyuuga, the one who was supposed to be the strongest genin in the exam. Why would he have any kinda trouble with the Sand Slut?"

Gorilla mask scoffed. "We all know the only reason that little piece of filth won. The fox. The kids must figure he was lucky, that the Hyuuga missed or something, made his chakra more powerful. Only thing the kid could have done was rely on that goddamn kitsune."

Bird, Ram, and Rabbit could only stare at their comrade, too young to have fought in the fight against the Kyuubi, and never holding enough animosity to have lost anyone to it. He was like this, simply because everyone else was.

"Uzumaki Naruto fought with strength, with honour, and with pride. He deserves to be remembered as the victor of that battle, not only for that he won a battle against a stronger enemy, but for proving that even when you are weak, and injured, and helpless, you can still stand, and you can still fight." Bird and Ram nodded at their captain's words, recognising the truth in them, but Gorilla wasn't done yet.

"He wasn't fighting with honour, he was humiliating Neji! He knew he could pull out the Fox's power at any point, and he decided to do it after the Sixty Four hands of Hakke. He wanted to make himself the bigger man, the stronger man. Uzumaki is still just a dangerous, attention seeking brat who should have been put down right after the sealing."

Bird quickly suppressed his urge to deck his team-mate, because problems between team-mates quickly became problems within teams, and you didn't become ANBU by causing tension within your team. However, you also didn't become ANBU with the ignorance that Gorilla seemed to possess in spades.

"From my observation, Naruto was neither certain that he could raise the chakra of the Kyuubi, nor was he attempting to humiliate the Hyuuga. He did, as I understand, have a grudge against him, but only wished to be victorious, to show that he was stronger. And he did." Rabbit was, as always, certain of his words.

Bird took control of the conversation before Gorilla could add his next two cents. "The red chakra did play a vital role in that battle. Without it, defeat had seemed almost certain. But even with the additional strength, most of the other rookie genins would have been hard pressed to secure victory. Uzumaki Naruto won that battle simply because he had the strength, the soul, the_ will _to believe in himself, and the power to back that will up."

All four of the gathered assassins turned their gaze upon the Hokage monument, eyes flickering from the First to the Second to the Fourth, but always returning to the visage of the Third.

"Truly, it is as the Sandiame spoke." Rabbit tore his face from the mountain, and looked towards the stars, hoping that their was a heaven, where the professor was now watching them from. "The people of Konoha possess a Will of Fire."


End file.
